Change
by SnailofKale
Summary: An apprentice. An unknowing murderer. The leader of Nightclan.
1. Prologue

Twixpaw nervously licked her shoulder. Yes, her name is Twixpaw. No, she was not a kittypet. It's a very long story. Looking up at Eaglestar made her feel small. His silver fur was puffed up in a rage, and he glared around at his clan.

"I don't know which one of you did it..." His eyes narrowed and fixated themselves on the gathering of pitch-black toms in the center of the Hollow. "But it was one of you. Shadefeather, Darkwing, Nightheart... oh, and how could I forget the ever-_useful_ Pinescratch." His gaze turned to a small, 18-moon-old tom with green eyes. "You must wonder why I've called you here. Well," He hissed, picking up a screeching, black kit, "This filth is your answer. And... One of you four did it. And, if you don't step up and claim it... I suppose I'll have to toss it down."

A hush fell over as they all looked more closely at the kit. Two tiny green jewels glowed on its face, the fur a dark, shining, blue-black. A perfect likeness of Pinescratch. Whispers broke out. Eaglestar had a cruel, cold smile forming on his face, the ice-blue of his eyes showing no remorse.

"My, my, Pinescratch, a little young for kits, aren't we?" Pinescratch stepped up.

"Sir, if I may plead my ca-" Eaglestar seemed to snap at this. He hissed and lashed his tail, screeching about betrayal. Twixpaw looked at the cat... no,_ the creature_, before her. And, the ice was shattered below.

Nobody knew how he fell, not even Twixpaw. Nobody knew if they should mourn or celebrate. Nobody knew who the new leader was to be, either. Eaglestar believed himself immortal and never chose a deputy. But, seeing Twixpaw's caramel-colored fur shimmering against the moonlit sky, standing where her leader stood seconds before, watching stars shift to surround her, it is clear as to who Starclan chose.


	2. And So It Was

Of course, a Leader and a Messenger Apprentice have a variation in duties. The Council, Senior Warriors, Medicine Cats, and Elders tasked with decision-making if the Leader is not present, met to discuss the problem.

"We chose her because Starclan said so? What sort of choice is that? As I have said in the previous meetings, our Warrior Ancestors are our advisors, not a force ruling us with an iron jaw," The she-cat took a breath, and twisted towards the four herb-scented cats who would dare oppose her deadly opinion. "You may say to have trust in them, but what good would that do? The messages they sent killed the Ancient Clans of Storm Lake!" The youngest and sweetest of the Healing Class, a young sphynx, piped up.

"But we must take their suggestions into account," Snakepaw mewed, "I understand why you may be apprehensive, Lavendergaze. She is little more than a kit. But everyone was once a kit, were they not?" The young tom flicked his gaze, for just a moment, to the oldest cat in the den, who nodded, eyes glazed with swimming thoughts.

Snakepaw looked puzzled, but a triumphant light gleamed in his eyes as he hopped out of the small mossy nest used for sitting and as he stalked towards the center of the room, tail held high and waving, he smirked at Lavendergaze, knowing the truth in his words held greater power than the claws of the former, terrible creature who dared call himself a leader.

"I state that Twixpaw is little more than a kit. This is why she is to be chosen as our leader. Hush now, Lavender, I am speaking. While you see in a kit weakness and ignorance, I see imagination and innocence. But, you may ask if a leader has no physical might, what does that say of their clan?" Snakepaw stopped, his bright, narrow eyes sweeping the room. "It says nothing. Twixpaw and I grew up in the same den until I aged six moons. In my opinion, she's more intelligent than all the warriors put together, and with a terrifying amount of strength to back it up. I say we give her the right to lead with our advice. It couldn't be worse, now could it?"

Lavendergaze twisted her face into what can be described as a crossbreed between a cat, owl, and twoleg that had a broken neck and hadn't groomed itself since the first drop of rain in a two-moon storm. She turned to the Grand Elder, who was nodding thoughtfully.

And then...

"Yes... a good point. Any objections?"

Lavendergaze hadn't moved so fast since she saw her kit nearly tumble into the Abyss. "ABSOLUTELY! A kit so young simply couldn't protect the clan from other clans! We cannot go... through... with this?" The Grand Elder was slowly creeping out of their seated position and towards her. They looked at her with an apologetic smile and placed their paw on Snakepaw's shoulder.

And so it was that the leader was to be little more than a kit.


	3. No Escape

**Hi, everyone! Snailwhiskers here! I saw a review from somebody. I couldn't reply to it, so I figured I would clear up some confusion about the Council Meeting and Eaglestar never selecting a deputy (Mousebrain, he was.) The Council meeting was between the people seen as advisors to the leader, which are Medicine Cats, Senior Warriors, and Elders. Snakepaw was a member of the Healing Class, giving him the right to enter the meeting and make his claims, which you will find out soon enough if they were true. Snakepaw was the only apprentice there, and everyone else was over 50 moons old (About 12 total cats in attendance.) As for Eaglestar not selecting a deputy, while he would be in violation of the Warrior Code by any other circumstances, one code states, "The word of the Clan Leader is the Warrior Code." Therefore, his subjects could not overthrow him and the Eagle Guard. On with the chapter!**

Leader ceremonies are a big deal in the clans of the Sun and Moon. Each clan has a different way of celebrating. In the heart of Dawnclan's territory, the rising sun on Final Mourning's Dawn is a time where light graces the shadowy hearts of the clan members, a time for a new leader's rise and a celebratory feast. As for Duskclan, a small ceremony is held privately, in a small cave near a small pond, with a small tree growing on a small island in its center, with Starclan being the only guests. Lightclan has a parade, a huge feast, then they burn (yes, _burn_) the old leader's den and build a new one over the flattened ashes. But Nightclan had the grandest and most regal, in the opinions of Starclan. Not by far, but still without a doubt the grandest.

Twixpaw left sweaty pawprints all over the den floor, as she paced in her personal section of the cave they made camp in while her clanmates busily scrubbed the wall with soaked moss and left the small pieces of crystal gleaming. She had been awaiting Jewelblossom's arrival since dawn, where in Bluelight Forest could she be? The seconds ticked by, until finally, she heard the voice she had heard four moons ago echo once more.

"Hey, Twix. Ready for me to start working on your look?" Jewelblossom led her into a clearing outside the cave, carrying a small pouch of herbs along with her assistants, Iceflower and Fireflower carrying shiny twoleg items. The sun created beautiful light bouncing off the small pond, with a tiny rainbow created by the waterfall, but Twixpaw only had seconds to see it before being pushed into the water and having a mixture of herbs massaged into her fur. As quickly as the team of traveling Washing Cats had done this, her fur was herb free, out of the water, being fanned dry and groomed while she did nothing. It amazed her how the cats did this with only their bare paws. But now she was having shiny twoleg objects draped on her, twisted vines with flowers placed upon her head, and as suddenly as Jewelblossom showed up, she left with a flick of her tail to have Twixpaw to marvel at her own reflection in the pond.

Twixpaw was not to be seen until moonhigh. This was a rule. The moment a decorator left is the last time you would be allowed to see a cat until the ceremony. Of course, there was plenty to do inside her den and request to have delivered to and from the outside. She took a nap, two hours down. Sweep out old moss, fur, and other unpleasant things, one more. Three left. She could not eat, but she could continue work on the greatest invention ever known to any cat. She took the stones and dipped a bird feather hooked to her claw into the mixture she had stayed up all night creating. With each quick movement, a mark appeared on the flat stones, and though only she knew their meanings, precisely 12 would become the alphabet, 34 become accented letters, 56 a unique word, and 78 phrases to express ideas.

She was not special in her clan. Almost all kits wished to make something like that, something that would change the way cats think and act. Silverdove the Wise was responsible for the Weighted Call, Prey Traps, and of course, the very Claw Hooks Twixpaw used to paint on the symbols. If it weren't for Silverdove, prey would go unknown throughout the territory. Twixpaw would never have made the (Failed) Prey Boxes. And Twixpaw would never have noticed the time! She darted out of her den, before slowing to a more regal walk as the sloped stone went down and the first of the clan members stepped out of the line and bowed.

Twixpaw could not back out of this. She was the leader now


	4. Crystals and Jewels

Twixpaw was led deep into the caves, far deeper than light could reach. She could not see her paws, but the deeper the medicine cat led her, the more she felt as though the ground was getting warmer. The medicine cat snapped its tail in her path and spoke.

"You're going to see a little bit of light up ahead. Some other leaders panic when they get here, so I'm just warning- FOX DUNG!" A soft thud echoed across the walls. Twixpaw, at this moment, realized that the cat who had led her this whole time was Snakepaw, not Blossomtrail like she thought. "Where is it, where is- ok... here it is."

"What is it," inquired Twixpaw, "an artifact?" As they walked, and there was more and more warmth and light, Snakepaw explained how the Gate Crystal was magical, and it communicated with other crystals. He had been carrying a small piece of rock with tiny bits of crystal in between the dull stone that could direct the magic onto the pale green jewels that were still draped around her neck from the crowning ceremony (she had taken off the white gems that were stolen from the twolegs). Suddenly, he stopped, placed the rock, and called out.

"Ersi vo, Mora! E gou i kut wrsan!" Snakepaw had been taught to speak through magic artifacts. He placed the stone down, and a burst of light shone from the crystal, which was nearly invisible without being full of pulsating light reflecting off of Twixpaw's jewels, which bounced to the other gems coating the walls. And then...

"Hey, little sis!"

**Sorry, this chapter was short! But all of these chapters are like memories of Twix_star_, so sometimes they will be! **


	5. How Many Cats One Can Kill

Leafblaze was the same age as she was when she was killed. A young, beautiful cat with large ears and silky fur. Twixpaw noticed the small puffs of fur behind Leafblaze. Despite being able to function properly, they couldn't have been more than a few moons old.

"Are those Moondrop's?" Leafblaze whipped around and saw the little furballs behind her. She calmly shook her head.

"Moondrop is in Starclan. She is on her way. I imagine those Storm Cats are giving her trouble. These are mine..." She trailed off, as though her brain was going a bit foggy. "Er, they're nearly identical, but their names are Stormkit, Lightkit, Flashkit, and Treekit."

Twixpaw, confused, could feel questions swimming through her head. "What do you mean, the Storm Cats? The Cats of Stormclan? And you have kits, how? Were you going to have kits when you died? Or did you meet a tom here?"

* * *

Long ago, Twixpaw, the Storm Cats all died. They fought a war with the Dark Forest in Starclan and banished them. This is when the first of our clans began to die. These cats believed themselves noble and claimed the land where Starclan lives. All of it. They gave us their code and told us to give it to you. They said that it would make you strong, and guide you properly. Twenty rules. They banished us to the Dark Forest, which was now similar to a living territory in a particularly mild leaf-bare. Many Moons passed, and they began to ease their grip as our cats did more noble things. They allow us into their territory now, but we can only walk on the paths. We cannot speak unless requested to. We may only send omens, not prophecies. It's a shame, really. Do you know how many cats encryption can kill? Fools like Firestar insist upon it. Thank goodness he's been made lazy with age. He sends Jayfeather most of the time. Jayfeather is kinder than the others. He's straightforward in prophecies. He'll visit. He's seen how the rules the others made can kill. He's got a hard shell, but... well, he has loved before. These kits are his. Shush, Twixpaw. I'll explain.

I did not give birth to them. They belong to a cat from our clans. She was daring. She pretended to be a Storm Cat. Her name was Silverdove. One day, she was caught, but Jayfeather defended her. Her treated her wounds. She had these kits and was executed. I took them. Jayfeather has gotten to know me quite well, as I am raising his kits in their mother's place. Ah, the others are here.

* * *

Twixpaw awoke, the power coursing through her. She was in the medicine den.

"I have never seen such a severe reaction to the pain..."

"Will she be alright?"

"Look! She's conscious!"


	6. The First Ceremony

Twixstar was _groggy,_ and a cold throbbing spread across her skin. She leaped to her feet and began to frantically scramble for her memories.

"W-Where am I? Where is Leafblaze? Mom... and Eaglestar! Where are they? I need to-!" She was cut off by a large cat pinning her down by the neck.

"She's a little confused. We need more poppy seeds," the cat, who was faintly remembered as Ashfluff, spoke to nobody in particular. She saw more cats appear from the shadows, and suddenly...

"Snakepaw! Snakepaw, what's happening? Tell Ashfluff to get off of me! I need to figure out what's going on!" Snakepaw, a pained expression on his face, did not reply. He nodded to the cat on his left, who darted forward and placed a paw in Twixstar's mouth. This cat then took hold of a piece of fur on Twixstar's head and opened her mouth wide enough for Snakepaw to put in the poppy seeds. They tasted better than most medicines and seemed to have been lubricated so she would swallow them fully. But it didn't matter. The moss Ashfluff laid her down on was so soft, and she was so very tired. Perhaps, if she only rested her eyes a moment...

* * *

A bright blue light shone in through the curtain of vines at the entrance to the medicine den. It could only have been a few hours since she fell asleep. She heard shuffling nearby. Craning her neck, which still hurt from being stood on, she saw a familiar white pelt. The cat did not hear the moss rustle. Running forward, she placed a paw on his shoulder. His head whipped around, but his bright blue eyes lit up at the sight of the familiar face.

_Twixstar! How are you? _He didn't quite say it, but everyone knew what he meant. The ear and tail twitches were how he communicated. Twixstar remembered elders complaining of his uselessness, how his newfangled code was just confusing, and that he probably could hear, he was just faking it to be lazy.

_I'm good, but my neck still hurts. What are you doing here, Snowkit? _His name disgusted her. He was old enough to be a warrior, or at least a healer. But "all" the cats agreed he was a useless lump who was only kept alive because of the warrior code, just like the legend he was named for. She knew that him being named "kit" should be changed, but she couldn't convince... the leader. She was the leader, wasn't she? She could change it. She _would_ change it. He deserved an apprenticeship. He deserved to have the same life as any other cat.

* * *

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Sunstone for a clan meeting!" Twixstar's yowl rang out through the caves, and cats darted out from the dark entrance. "First of all, there is a cat among us who has unjustly lived a life without meaning. Snowkit, come forward." Gasps and whispers broke out. Surely she was joking? Or, perhaps he was going to be allowed more than a kit, but nobody would rationally train a cat like him, would they?

"_Snowkit, you may not be able to respond quickly on a battlefield, or properly conduct a hunting patrol,_" she began, announcing along with signing the words, "_but your time on this world is not to be wasted. It is not what Starclan, nor what I intended. I understand that all the positions in clan life put you at a disadvantage. I have thought long and hard about this. You will be a healer._" She touched her nose to his head and tried to remember the words. "_Snowkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw. Your mentor will be Owlpuff. I hope Owlpuff will pass on all that she knows to you._" Owlpuff looked ecstatic, to say the least. She rushed up the 30 or so tail lengths between her and her new student. Twixstar continued, "_Owlpuff, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from the late Bluefog. Your patience and caring soul are unsurpassed by any living cat. Pass on all that you have learned, and learn all you have passed again. The apprentice teaches the mentor as much as the mentor teaches the apprentice. I wish you luck._"

Meanwhile, watching from a thicket, Lavendergaze had something to say. And it wasn't Snowpaw's name.


	7. Decisions, Good and Bad

Lavendergaze knew taking action would mean nothing, not without evidence. And then she realized that Twixstar had only one hour before her deputy had to be chosen. She hoped that no other cat realized it. Or, maybe Twixstar was thinking hard about it. She shouldn't dwell, she had work to do.

* * *

Snakepaw was an apprentice, yes, but that was simply because no cat had the misfortune of dislocating a limb. Owlpuff would be a fine mentor, he knew. The other medicine cats were asleep. The healers' den always seemed quiet, but at night he realized how bustling it was in the day. Despite his undeniable skill, he was still given the task of cleaning the den. Snowpaw was probably going to be babied. Snakepaw knew what that felt like. His lack of fur meant that **_GOING IN THE SUN MEANS YOU'LL GET SUNBURNT AND DIE._** Leafbare was worse. He could never go unaccompanied because their body heat kept him warm enough to not get hypothermia on his two-minute walk to get some ice. He remembered when Twixpaw went with him... hm?

"Hello? Is someone there? I waited outside and I didn't hear anything, so I let myself in."

It was a young she-cat, about 26 moons. She had warm green eyes and a warm... green... scent?

"You're from Dawnclan, aren't you?" Snakepaw eyed her from the corner where he was working, watching every piece of fur on her pelt. "Could you be Pinescratch's mate?" The she-cat nodded.

"My name is Rainstorm. I came to join your clan. These are Pinescratch's kits, Redkit, Brookkit, and Dustkit. I believe that Hollykit has been living with your clan? I was unsure as to who your deputy was, so I came for the medicine cat."

* * *

Twixpaw knew she had a moment to choose. She was so set, but the safest option... no, follow your heart. One of her lives, the one from Eaglestar. Self-assurance.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Sunstone for a clan meeting!"

"...Twixstar! Wait! This Dawnclan cat wants to become a member of Nightclan."

"Rainstorm, do you swear to protect Nightclan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the power of Starclan, I... dub you Rainstorm, the Warrior of the Night."?

* * *

"Oh, Twixstar, you're doing my job for me! Pinescratch, a deputy, and his mate allowed in the clan? Ha, we should've never allowed you to be leader!"


	8. The Doubts of a Leader

The clan has been busy lately. A half-moon has passed since Twixstar became the leader. Things are going well, everyone has a full belly, Pinescratch turned out to be a fine deputy, nobody dropped anything into the puddles, and nobody has acted up lately. On more personal notes to Twixstar, Snowpaw's training has been going well. He's memorized all the smells of the herbs, leaf usage, root usage, stem usage, berry usage, and knows how to identify an illness based on symptoms.

Also, remind her that she needs to pick the patrol to go to the Gathering.

* * *

"Very good, Redkit! You're practically an apprentice already!" Pinescratch smiled encouragingly at the ball of wiggling fluff, who beamed with pride. "Now, can you please go talk to Goldenbloom? You're late for grammar lessons." Redkit grinned and nodded, bouncing on her toes before skittering down the slope towards the messenger den.

"Isn't it genius?" Pinescratch jumped at the sudden noise. Twixstar giggled, but quickly assumed a serious face, which caused her to break into an even bigger fit of giggles. Pinescratch rolled his eyes, but she had good reason to laugh. At least, from her perspective, she did.

"Er... Twixstar, don't you think it's a little odd, how nothing's happened in a half-moon?" Pinescratch inquired. Twixstar cocked her head. "Well, I'm not challenging you, but, even in Brightstar's time, we'd have some sort of a skirmish with Duskclan on all the border patrols, but they've been... cordial, lately. A few days ago, an apprentice encountered Moon and believed her to be a threat. She hid, just as I would've done, but she went deep into Duskclan's territory. They returned her a few hours later, but she was... chatting with them. They had treated her more gently than they'd treat their own kits. When I... When I..." Pinescratch trailed off and laid down, his eyes foggy with fear. Snakepaw appeared from the shadows and walked up to them, sighing out of disappointment.

"This is the fifth one. He's getting a flashback. Don't touch him, and don't mention it to him when he gets back. A-Anyways, I'm terribly busy, with all the... oh... what... mouse dung... I'm sorry, I need to go." Snakepaw flicked his tail and leaped down to the medicine den. Pinescratch still lay there, shivering.

Twixstar was a bit shocked. This was a bit strange, for Snakepaw. And what was it that Pinescratch was saying? Did the other clans think she was a weak leader? Did her own clanmates think she was a weak leader? No... that couldn't be... everything was bountiful, and there had been no battles... no, she knew why that was. She couldn't fool herself. They thought she was a kit. Nothing more than a bratty kit. Of course, this could be used to the clan's advantage... no. Assert your dominance. They had to know exactly why she was chosen. They had to know exactly what she did, even if she didn't. And a demon stirred, eager to assist.


	9. Her Best

The march was swift and silent, the rain quietly pattering on the leaves of the forest. Only the circle of the full moon peeked through the clouds, penetrating the dreariness and lighting up the slightly misty air. Softstar of Lightclan's fur reflected the moonlight, creating that same halo that surrounded all of the leaders of her clan. Her deputy, Moonblight, bitter as she was about losing her position as a Flamethrower, was still objectively better than the mangy tom she had to deal with as a "temporary" replacement for Whisperfall. He had always been saying things like "All the 'glowing' warriors are too rowdy. We must wait a few seasons." She had to stage a little accident for him, and then he backed down. Duskclan emerged from the shadows nearby, slinking along the slick ground and moving as the Mudslides they lived in did. Lightclan Flamethrowers covered themselves with moss, feathers, leaves, bits of twoleg pelts, or any other odd thing they found lying around, hiding their horribly burnt skin and tufts of fur. Moonblight was one of the few who remained mostly covered in fluff. This was important. A leader must have a halo. A leader must shine as brightly as the stars that made them so.

As all the clans entered the cavern, including the little groups of rogues and Starsteps, each of the leaders leaped upon the Highform. Twixstar, being nervous, was accompanied by Pinescratch. As always, Softstar spoke first.

"We are sad to announce that, after many moons of work, Apple has been reluctant to retire, but he was eventually condemned to the Elder's den when he fell from the Flametree. We have decided Moonblight would be the best fit for our new deputy. Hazebrush and Horn have had a healthy litter of three kits and one tom-kit, to be named tomorrow. Three new apprentices are have joined the ranks, Flickpaw, Hoppaw, and Eggpaw. In addition, Thrush has begun his training. The prey has been good, and an intriguing hypothesis has been brought up by the Healer Foxear, though we don't wish to get any clan's hopes up of restarting the Trades. Yewstar, you may speak."

Softstar stepped down, and Yewstar from Dawnclan hopped up onto the square of stone. He shook his head, his silvery mane fluffing out. Dawnclan was believed to have directly descended from Lionclan. He opened his large, toothy mouth and began to speak.

"A mistake made in the building of a storage den nearly cost me all of my lives. It was a wound Starclan struggled greatly to heal. Thanks to an extraordinarily talented runner and Healer, Lostfoot, my condition was stabilized long enough to keep me from The Endless Scream. We promptly destroyed the den, rebuilt a new one in its place, and were lucky enough it only carried moss, leaves, twigs, and stone. Echogaze is expecting kits. Slinkstar, your turn."

The Duskclan leader shook slipped onto the rock, her mate standing next to her. Starclan, Duskclan was mouse-brained sometimes.

"We have nothing of intrigue to report. However, Shadedrop and I have taken in a set of abandoned rogue kits. We believe that they come from one of the Northsea Colony branches."

Twixstar stood nervously beside her deputy. He had gone over what was appropriate to mention to the other clans and what was not. He said to not mention his mate, as that was disgraceful. No talking about cool rocks, no complaints about apprentice duties (which she still had to do, as she never finished her training.) Talk about prey, death, birth, herbs, and- the system!

"Nightclan's caves have been warm this moon. The fresh-kill has been... _plentiful_! A rogue Lightclan fire burnt some bushes, but that's okay, they didn't mean to. Snowpaw finally was given his apprentice name, but he's busy right now, I think a cat came down with a cold and Owlpuff thought it would be too good of a learning experience because nobody's been very sick yet and... oh, sorry. Early this moon, a group of kits ran into the caves and got lost. When we found them, they said they were bored. I came up with an idea. If we let kits practice for being apprentices, they'll keep out of trouble and develop skills for-"

"BEING LEADER IS NOT A LITTLE PROJECT FOR AN APPRENTICE!" Everyone gasped at the outburst, and looked to see who it had come from. Snakejaw, his mouth agape, leaped onto the Objection Stone. "Let's be honest, Starclan didn't pick HER! She might have been under Eaglestar's wing, but she's just going to whine her way into and out of everything, because she's a KIT. She's apprenticing kits early and not changing their names for more playmates to run through the woods with. Nightclan, I may be an enemy, but surely you agree?"

Several young warriors began to yowl at Snakejaw. He was breaking the Warrior Code, after all. At a Gathering, too. A higher pitch rang above the crowd, and soon, its message was heard.

"_STOOOOOP!_" Twixstar was panting. "Everyone, it's fine! I wouldn't have realized that some of you thought that if he didn't say so! Uh... I know I'm not anyone's first choice for a leader. I know that a lot of cats think I'm a bit of a brat and I'll step down after a few moons of this. I share that second concern," she was using her adult language, hoping that would leave a better affect, "but I think me being leader is better than a bunch of cats arguing over the position! And I don't run through the woods with the kits! They can't leave camp! I th-"

"What Twixstar is trying to say," Pinescratch interrupted, "is that this is a learning experience. She has adhered to the Warrior code and kept out of trouble." He stroked his tail down Twixstar's back, attempting to calm her down. "And she's done her best."


	10. The Whispers

Murmurs of the visitors rippled through the darkened tunnels, echoing into every corner of the cold, unyielding stone. It seemed, for those dreadfully long days and nights, just before the first days of leafbare, everything stopped. The echoed whispers, the awful, echoed whispers, ripped through the mossy curtains hiding the entrance to the cave, bursting into the wide, open Scorchplains, where Lightclan's flames burnt them away. They also slipped into the shallow stream, whose currents carried it into the Mudslides, where they drowned. Cold wind whisked them into the great, sunny skies, where they fell, as rain, to Dawnclan's beautiful, bountiful forests. The visitors were coming. Nightclan was to receive guests. The snowflakes landed, and as the quiet, still bushes rustled, too gently for even the most sensitive creature to detect, the visitors arrived.

They came from a long-forgotten land, withered and eroded by the pitter-pattering of time running upon the worn-down pathways, the dried tree trunks, and the riverbeds none drank from. They had walked thousands of tree-lengths to arrive at a forest with blue light spattering the grassy carpet as though it were rain, and a forest known to be ruled by four clans of immense power. The eldest of elders could not remember the stories of their arrival from when they were whispered to the other kits in the nursery, for the stories were warped and distorted when they passed through the skin of their mother to reach the barely-functional ears of a kit in the belly of a queen. Despite the gap spanning hundreds of seasons, the travelers remembered their destination, as that light-spattered forest remembered them.

Twixstar awoke just past moonhigh, as the tradition dictated. It was said, by the Grand Elders, at least, that "Twix" was a name given to the visitors to signify the mysterious honor they possessed. They told her that one relative, far back in her bloodline, was a visitor. But that was far, far more legend than truth. And now... now the visitors would return. And Twixstar knew exactly who called them.


End file.
